November 17, 2020 9:10:31 am
Dilip Ghosh, President of the BJP of West Bengal (File photo)
A WAR of words broke out between the TMC and the BJP on Monday after the BJP state chairman said his party would work to “turn West Bengal into Gujarat” once he comes to power in the state.
Referring to the former Left Front government in the state and its leaders, Ghosh said: “Leaders like Biman Bose, Buddhababu (former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee) made sure that people here did not become doctors, engineers, but workers. migrants seeking work in Gujarat. We want to turn Bengal into Gujarat once we form a government here. Didi (Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee) often accuses us of trying to turn West Bengal into Gujarat.
Yes absolutely. We will turn Bengal into Gujarat so that our children get work here and do not have to emigrate to Gujarat, ”said the BJP leader after interacting with local residents in Barasat in North Parganas 24 district.
Ghosh’s comments drew harsh criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress.
TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim urged the BJP deputy to leave Bengal and settle in Gujarat.
“Around 2,000 people died in the Gujarat riots in 2002. If we turn Bengal into Gujarat, people will fear dying in the encounters. Therefore, we do not want to turn Bengal into Gujarat. This is Rabindranath Tagore Bengal, Nazrul Bengal. People must decide whether to preserve Bengal’s cultural heritage or inherit Gujarat’s riot policy, ”Hakim said.
The TMC leader went on to say that only Adanis and Ambanis have had priority in Gujarat, while others had to close their businesses.
“Even the Nano factory (Tata Motors) has closed there. Communal division can never help an economy flourish. The country’s economy has slumped so much that we lag behind Bangladesh in GDP. This is our shame. Dilip Ghosh can leave for Gujarat. The people of the state are happy here, ”he said.
Meanwhile, Ghosh said his party will defeat TMC’s North 24 Parganas district president and state minister Jyotipriya Mullick in next year’s Assembly elections. “He has cheated the people of the state and taken money from them. He is involved in multiple scams, including the PDS scam. Enough is enough. I am issuing an open challenge for us to defeat him. Have him elect any Assembly segment in the state. We will defeat him from wherever he opposes the election, ”Ghosh said.
Mullick responded quickly, saying that the BJP would go blank in the North 24 Parganas district in 2021. “The result will be 33-0. The BJP will get a big zero from the North 24 Parganas district. Tell Dilip Ghosh to prepare for the biggest loss of his party in 2021, ”said Mullick.
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